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golden clover, golden hop clover, greater hop clover, hop clover, large hop clover, large hop trefoil, palmate hop clover, yellow clover

pin point clover, slender clover

Habit Herbs annual, 20–60 cm, glabrous or hirsute. Herbs annual, 2–60 cm, glabrous.
Stems

erect, unbranched or profusely branched.

erect or ascending, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules oblanceolate, 0.9–1.5 cm, margins entire, apex acuminate or cuspidate;

petiole 0.8–1 cm;

petiolules 0–1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1–2.8 × 0.6–0.8 cm, base cuneate, lateral veins prominent, ± parallel, ascending, margins denticulate, apex acute, truncate, or retuse, mucronate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy.

palmate;

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–2.5 cm, membranous, margins entire or slightly serrate, apex long-acuminate;

petiole 0.5–9 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate to obcordate, 0.5–2.5 × 0.2–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins moderately thickened, margins setose-serrulate, apex rounded, shallowly retuse, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

axillary or terminal, 20–80-flowered, usually ovoid-cylindric, sometimes globose, 1.2–2 × 1.3 cm;

involucres absent.

axillary or terminal, 10–25-flowered, globose to subglobose, 0.5–2 × 0.5–2 cm, rachis prolonged beyond flowers;

involucres a narrow, membranous, dentate rim, to 0.5 mm.

Peduncles

2–5 cm.

1–9 cm.

Pedicels

reflexed, 0.3–0.6 mm;

bracteoles a fringe of red setae.

becoming dramatically reflexed, 3–4 mm;

bracteoles low, cuplike, membranous, to 0.5 mm.

Flowers

7–8 mm;

calyx campanulate, 2–2.5 mm, glabrous, veins 5, tube 0.8–1 mm, lobes unequal, adaxial deltate, 0.6–0.9 mm, 1/2 length of abaxial, abaxial linear, orifice open;

corolla golden yellow becoming brown, 5–6 mm, banner persistent, obovate, boat-shaped, 4–4.5 × 2.4–2.6 mm, apex emarginate.

5–7.5 mm;

calyx narrowly campanulate, 4.5–6.5 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 2–2.5 mm, lobes unequal, long-triangular, margins green or purple, orifice open;

corolla white, pink, or purple, 5–8 mm, banner ovate, 5–8 × 3–4 mm, apex broadly rounded, retuse or apiculate.

Legumes

stipitate, oblong, 3–3.5 mm, longer than calyx.

ovoid-ellipsoid, 4–6 mm.

Seeds

1, pale yellow-green, ovoid, 1–1.2 mm, smooth, glossy.

1 or 2, tan to brown, mitten-shaped, 1.1–1.5 mm, smooth.

2n

= 14, 16.

= 16.

Trifolium aureum

Trifolium gracilentum

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat Roadsides, railroads, fields, disturbed woodland glades. Open, grassy areas, gravelly ridges, roadsides, adobe slopes, moist places.
Elevation 0–1700 m. (0–5600 ft.) 50–1200 m. (200–3900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM; n Europe; c Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America (Argentina, Chile), e Asia (e China), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; OR; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium agrarium Linnaeus is a rejected name that has been used historically for T. aureum (J. E. Dandy 1958; N. J. Turland et al. 1996).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Abundance of Trifolium gracilentum increases in response to burns (J. M. DiTomaso et al. 1999).

The record of Trifolium gracilentum from South Carolina is a waif.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trifolium Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trifolium
Sibling taxa
T. albopurpureum, T. alexandrinum, T. amoenum, T. amphianthum, T. andersonii, T. andinum, T. angustifolium, T. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. attenuatum, T. barbigerum, T. barnebyi, T. beckwithii, T. bejariense, T. bifidum, T. bolanderi, T. brandegeei, T. breweri, T. buckwestiorum, T. calcaricum, T. campestre, T. carolinianum, T. cernuum, T. ciliolatum, T. columbinum, T. cyathiferum, T. dasyphyllum, T. dedeckerae, T. depauperatum, T. dichotomum, T. douglasii, T. dubium, T. echinatum, T. eriocephalum, T. fragiferum, T. friscanum, T. fucatum, T. glomeratum, T. gracilentum, T. grayi, T. gymnocarpon, T. haydenii, T. hirtum, T. howellii, T. hybridum, T. hydrophilum, T. incarnatum, T. jokerstii, T. kentuckiense, T. kingii, T. lappaceum, T. latifolium, T. leibergii, T. lemmonii, T. longipes, T. lupinaster, T. macilentum, T. macraei, T. macrocephalum, T. medium, T. microcephalum, T. microdon, T. monanthum, T. mucronatum, T. nanum, T. nigrescens, T. obtusiflorum, T. oliganthum, T. ornithopodioides, T. owyheense, T. palmeri, T. parryi, T. pinetorum, T. piorkowskii, T. plumosum, T. polyodon, T. pratense, T. productum, T. reflexum, T. repens, T. resupinatum, T. retusum, T. rollinsii, T. siskiyouense, T. sonorense, T. stoloniferum, T. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. thompsonii, T. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
T. albopurpureum, T. alexandrinum, T. amoenum, T. amphianthum, T. andersonii, T. andinum, T. angustifolium, T. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. attenuatum, T. aureum, T. barbigerum, T. barnebyi, T. beckwithii, T. bejariense, T. bifidum, T. bolanderi, T. brandegeei, T. breweri, T. buckwestiorum, T. calcaricum, T. campestre, T. carolinianum, T. cernuum, T. ciliolatum, T. columbinum, T. cyathiferum, T. dasyphyllum, T. dedeckerae, T. depauperatum, T. dichotomum, T. douglasii, T. dubium, T. echinatum, T. eriocephalum, T. fragiferum, T. friscanum, T. fucatum, T. glomeratum, T. grayi, T. gymnocarpon, T. haydenii, T. hirtum, T. howellii, T. hybridum, T. hydrophilum, T. incarnatum, T. jokerstii, T. kentuckiense, T. kingii, T. lappaceum, T. latifolium, T. leibergii, T. lemmonii, T. longipes, T. lupinaster, T. macilentum, T. macraei, T. macrocephalum, T. medium, T. microcephalum, T. microdon, T. monanthum, T. mucronatum, T. nanum, T. nigrescens, T. obtusiflorum, T. oliganthum, T. ornithopodioides, T. owyheense, T. palmeri, T. parryi, T. pinetorum, T. piorkowskii, T. plumosum, T. polyodon, T. pratense, T. productum, T. reflexum, T. repens, T. resupinatum, T. retusum, T. rollinsii, T. siskiyouense, T. sonorense, T. stoloniferum, T. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. thompsonii, T. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
Synonyms Chrysaspis aurea T. denudatum, T. exile, T. gracilentum var. exile, T. gracilentum var. inconspicuum, T. gracilentum var. reductum, T. inconspicuum
Name authority Pollich: Hist. Pl. Palat. 2: 344. (1777) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 316. (1838)
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